ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · clip · bass · ruler · drill · bound · press · mine

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — low music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. drill — army training
  15. clip — a video
  16. bass — the fish
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bound — certain
  21. clip — to cut
  22. press — to push
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com